An approach to developing active undergraduate research program by the author has included  early exposure to research topics and experiential learning by students in a special topics course involving a number of critical environmental issues and impact on public health. By  participating in the course work, students became genuinely interested in investigating the issues through active research projects. The author has been very successful over the years in recruiting students in his research group through course work on special topics such as environmental pollution and health.  As part of the course work the students participates in faculty led travel to Bangladesh to gain experiential learning in issues such as, groundwater arsenic calamity in Bengal delta plain, ambient and indoor air pollution and their impact on public health. Interaction with local people and researchers in overseas offers intercultural perspective to students’ learning. On-site experience during the course work garners interest among students in performing collaborative studies in environmental issues with the author to further their own understanding and continuation of their learning about public health issues in developing nations. In the past 10 years approximately 30-40 undergraduates have collaborated with the author in a  number of projects. The projects covered areas ranging from aquatic chemistry, geology, toxicology to public health and nutrition. Over the last twenty years or so, the author has developed and sustained a visible undergraduate research program in his home institution through collaboration with institutions in the USA, Canada, India, Bangladesh and Australia.  The model adopted by the author afforded undergraduates engaging in collaborative research with him, additionally students in his research group had opportunities to collaborate with researchers from several graduate institutions in the USA and overseas. Through these collaborative efforts students had opportunities to learn and contribute towards mitigation of some pressing global public health issues.

On-site experiential learning in a special topics course promoting student interest and collaboration in viable research projects in a predominantly undergraduate institution

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.